The White Handkerchief
by Wasabisugar
Summary: An arranged marriage between Duchess Hinata and Duke Sasuke is interrupted by a man completely unknown to her. He declares Sasuke a liar, but is imprisoned before he can explain himself. Hinata's interest in this stranger grows as she realizes that he knows her, and what's more, he intends to steal her from Sasuke. But why? What is her husband hiding? AU


**Please read!**

I've decided to further develop this story and once again post it. I received a review from a guest two days ago that made me realize how similar all of my stories are. So, guest, if you're reading this… This is dedicated to you. "! This is a tragedy romance written for around the 1700's. I've decided to westernize it in a few ways, some which include the houses and wedding fashion. This is because most of the names for certain objects only exist in Japanese, so I'd need to add notes almost all the time. Not that I mind it, but I doubt that you as a reader would enjoy it.  
Also, the wedding vows are taken from a website. Now, I don't want to be posting long links, so if you want my bibliography, feel free to PM me!

Without much further ado, let us begin this story! It's not a one-shot, by the way. I expect it to reach around 70-90,000 words. Wish me good luck!

Also, I'd like to remind you as readers that this story will _not _be a Sasuhina. There will, however, be romance between them. If you can't handle the thought of them being together, **don't read it. **It's a mixture, okay?

I don't want to give anything else away, so let's start.

**Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to, I do not own Naruto.**

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_**The White Handkerchief**_

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Exquisitely dressed rooms mixed with royalty on an early Saturday morning was only the beginning of this day. Fancy instruments played by finely dressed musicians echoed across the long halls as those invited made their way into the rather enormous church. Of course, there would be only one instrument playing once the event begun, but for now it was simply a welcoming greeting. The violins' continuous yet sharp melody seemed to overrule all other, adding a tinge of haunt to the atmosphere.

In a room far from everything, the young bride was preparing her attire. As soon as the maids finished making trivial details, she stepped in front of a mirror to see herself.  
It was a nice enough spectacle. The girl had never seen such splendor and vanity. There was an awful lot of white on this dress, wasn't there? It was stuffy, stiff, regal, uncomfortable and restricting. She feared that if she drew breath normally, the seams would break. She theorized that is why she felt so light-headed and not because of the impending ceremony.  
In the main hall, things were about as pleasant as you would expect from a wedding. Awkward, fake smiles were apparently in fashion this week. Generic gift cards, thoughtless presents and letters were piled on a table, a fake trophy if anything.

The elaborate white silken decorations that littered both the church and the denizens that mingled within had been blighted by the day itself. Muddy, corrupting splotches of filth embedding itself into the pure surface of perfection. The world waited outside the quaint little church. It wept onto the soon to be-betrothed earth, hoping to ruin some poor soul's shoes. The empty trees were clawing at the stained glass windows. Demanding entry with their bony claws of bark. And from far away, the voice of some long lost friend or mother howled and wailed in a banshee's agony, only making the bark more and more lurid.

It was a wedding, after all.

There was a gentleman, a very fine gentleman, standing not three paces away from the gift table. Normally one would dismiss this as unworthy of even mentioning, but yet there was something about the man that screamed for your attention once your gaze had barely grazed his features. His hair was done very nicely, he had some form of oil mixed in to give a short but noticeable wavy form to the black strands. His forehead was almost square, large and imposing, but not laughably so. A few lines were laid upon it, but they were dismiss-able as tricks of light. His eyebrows were impossibly straight, his eyes made of rich mahogany. Eyes that told of many secrets but held them locked in strongbox so beautiful that you wouldn't open in fear of what you might find within. The most striking feature was the pencil-mustache. It highlighted the frown placed upon his mouth and somehow made him seem more authoritative than his aura already suggested. He had attracted a small crowd and appeared to be running the rumor mill. If one ventured close enough, his mahogany eyes would hungrily envelop yours and pull your feet towards him. It was nothing he did precisely, it just looked as if he had a secret you would enjoy hearing about. Not many were aware of this man's detestation for Uchiha Sasuke and the positive work he had been producing lately. Even at a young age, his title as a prodigy was unmistakable. A homeschooled, intelligent, handsome and ambitious man, he was. This was precisely why so many despised him.

After several greetings and serious discussions amongst greedy family members, the gathered individuals were eventually seated and silenced by the soloing organ. The song played had been a tradition for the Uchiha family to use during every single wedding, but it was not beautiful. In fact, Sasuke loathed it.

A taller man, similar in appearance to Sasuke with midnight back eyes and a serious expression was standing near the right side of the altar. He was rather indifferent to the event, and made it clear to those around him by not conversing with anyone but his father. Outside of this ceremony he was Sasuke's older brother, but today he would be nothing more than the Best Man.

The Maid of Honor was chosen by the Uchiha family. Hinata was not the least bit acquainted with her. _I feel… Empty… _Hinata drew a long breath before nodding to her father, Hiashi, who motioned for the doors to be opened.

There was no light, no smiles, no clapping. Hinata kept her eyes on the crimson rug as she walked arm in arm together with her father down the aisle. Her small and ginger footsteps barely emitted a sound as she carefully made her way towards her soon to be husband. The veil placed perfectly on her head hanged down, covering her undoubtedly averted eyes. Her heart pounded hard in her chest, straining the seams of her tight dress. Each breath she drew felt like a step closer to losing consciousness and never having to experience something in this fashion ever again.

After a meaningless hug with her father, Hinata was given to Sasuke and finally turned to the silent priest. The organ stopped playing and all sound dissipated from the room. Not that there was much talking passing through the rather large crowd of people, but it certainly differed from this kind of quiet. The atmosphere grew more solemn by the second, until the priest cleared his throat audibly and began speaking.

"Dearly Beloved: We are gathered here, in the presence of God and of this company, that Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata may be united in holy matrimony._**"**_

_Hinata glanced sideways up at her to-be betrothed with a look of uncertainty. In sharp contrast to her, Sasuke was visibly content and calm with his decision. Feeling her gaze on him, he reached out slightly and held Hinata's trembling hand in his. If it weren't for the absolute noiseless surrounding, he would have whispered some soothing words to her. He instead looked down at her and cast her a soft smile of reassurance. _

_"…We are here to celebrate and share in the glorious act that God is about to perform - the act by which He converts their love for one another into the holy and sacred estate of marriage…"_

The speech continued for a tens of minutes that felt like centuries. Finally, the time for Hinata and Sasuke to make their vows was near. _All I have to say… Is 'I do'.' _She reminded herself.

"_**Do any of the witnesses know of any reason why we may not legally continue with this weddi-"**_

Before he could finish, a sound demolished the entire ceremony. The acoustics of the church made it sound like cannon fire, yet there wasn't enough debris to justify that theory. Instead there was merely a man standing in the vast open space where the doors were supposed to be closed. He appeared to be blonde and around 170 cm tall. His build was normal, perhaps even lanky, no visible muscles to speak of. He was dressed in a coat with long, twin tails. Both of which had faded to due use and abuse. He was also wearing a plaid cravat tucked into a pin-striped waistcoat. Other items included pin-striped pants, and a pair of worn-out, classy yet strangely pointy shoes.

Before anyone could recover from the shock of the apocalyptic noise, the man in the doorway shouted, his fury-filled voice sounding like the devil himself in that small, cramped church.

"I OBJECT!"

It was only then when the denizens of the church turned their heads to see the rain-pattered man with a look of hell-fire on his face.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

"Who is that man?"

"What does he want?"

"You lied to me Sasuke! We were closer than brothers, you and I! What foul witch have you ploughed in order to swindle me of this?"

At first, Sasuke appeared to be shocked, as his mouth hung slightly open while his eyes studied the blonde man standing down the aisle. _Naruto… _Hinata looked at her to-be husband, then to the stranger, then back at her husband. Something told her that they knew each other.

The intruder's arms gestured wildly towards the couple, slowly making his way down the aisle. The man with the raven hair simply existed for a few seconds, before he flung his hand in the direction of the stranger. _Sorry, but you're too late._

Faceless men in regal clothing seized the apparent madman by his arms. Forcibly pulling him out of the sanctioned ceremony, the man would not abide by this however. His legs thrashed and clamped and stomped and clawed on the church floor, each impact sending shock waves through the sonic spectrum.

"You may have made her forget, but I will not! You hear me, Sasuke?! I won't forget this treachery, you whoreson!"

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed in irritation at the blonde boy's recklessly spurted words, but he knew exactly what he needed to do in order to have his revenge.

"Priest. Hurry up." He said.

"O..Okay… Do yo-"

"I do." Came the hurried reply. The blonde man broke out of the hold and prepared to run towards the altar, but was rapidly restricted of his movement. This time, by a much stronger man.

"Sasuke!"

"And Hyuuga Hinata, do yo-"

"Say it, Hinata." The girl was nothing short of bewildered. Who was this intruder, and why did he know her fiancées name?

"Hurry, Hinata!" He urged, losing his patience.

"I…" She tried to voice her opinion, but was cut off when she felt the white veil being lifted from her face. Her eyes immediately shifted to Sasuke's, but only then did she realize that he'd pressed his cold lips against hers. It was the kiss that would finally unite them, and their families. It was shocking for Hinata, but her surprise was laughable compared to that of the blonde man. The few seconds that he had refrained from movement due to the shock had given the men holding him enough time to almost get him out. Right before the doors closed, he took a deep breath and yelled at the very top of his lungs.

"SASUKE!"

Then the doors to reality were closed once again, this time leaving behind a lingering calamity of suspension and uncomfortableness. There were so many questions Hinata wanted to ask Sasuke, but for now – she needed to talk to that stranger.

"You cannot imprison him." She snapped. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and looked down at her, his expression one of feigned confusion.

"But Hinata Dear – He was a lunatic." _Lunatic? _He continued. "Anyway, let us return home." Sasuke said, tugging her hand and pulling her down the same aisle the blonde stranger had just tried to run through. The mud from his boots had stained the crimson rug.

"You don't know how relieved I am to finally be your husband." He tugged her close, once again kissing her with that similar burning passion. He loved her, and she was all too aware.

But did she feel the same? That, she couldn't answer.

His lips parted from hers and a frown rested on his lips. "Let's get out of here, I don't think I can control myself much longer." Hinata tilted her head to the side, wondering what he could possibly mean. It was of no matter, she would find out soon enough, and she wouldn't enjoy it.

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**_The cold, damp air_ **wrapped around her like a heavy coat of chain mail as she descended the tight spiral staircase to the dungeons. In the absence of flaming torches, the dimness gave the impression of twilight despite the heat and brilliance of the late July afternoon outside. She had left the manor a dusk with the intention to speak with the man who had attempted to interrupt their wedding. She wished to hear what words he had to offer, and perhaps release him if she were to find him innocent.

Sasuke owned a large manor, to the west of the town center. Visitors were rarely allowed, and Hinata found herself bored living with him all too often. While he was performing duties - none of which she cared much about – She would sit inside and sow dresses or paint.

They weren't a very loving couple, - quite the contrary – they were very distant from each other. She was well aware of that Sasuke had fallen for her beauty and was indeed infatuated with her, but she couldn't say the same about him. He was too loved by the ladies, too smart…

_Too… everything. _

Shaking her head to rid her of her negative thoughts, Hinata took the last step down, wrapping her cape around her once again and continuing on an even floor. A guard turned and looked at her, then bowed upon recognizing her.

"I wish to see the prisoner." She said, aware of that the guard would know who she meant. He nodded, and after shooting her a somewhat dubious look, turned and began to walk. "Follow me, Mrs. Uchiha." She shuddered. _I do not enjoy the sound of that. _

"He is a strange one, that boy." He spoke suddenly, catching Hinata off-guard.  
"What do you mean?" She asked cautiously. He shrugged, unsheathing his sword and gliding it across the bars of the cells as the continued further down the hall. Hinata subconsciously kept her distance.

"He is not a lunatic like the duke had claimed." Hinata cocked her head to the side.

"I see…" She says, clearly intrigued. "But he is not willing to speak anymore." The guard stopped in front of the cell and tapped his blade against the bars as to catch the prisoner's attention.

"You mean this one, right?"

Hinata looked inside, and surely enough, the boy who had burst in through the church doors was sitting in the corner, his head buried in his knees without making a single sound. He wore the same clothes, but they were now littered with mud, and cut up from the rough beating Sasuke's guards had given him.  
- Suddenly, he raised his head, and their eyes met.

"Your name?" Hinata asked carefully. He stood on his two feet and began to approach her. The guard immediately stepped in front of her and warned him.

"If you lay a hand on this young lady, you _will _be punished." For some reason, the blonde's eyes lit up at when the guard said "punished" as if he remembered something pleasant.

"I understand." He was trying to stop himself from smirking, but his attempts were quite futile.

"Please, leave us." Hinata ordered calmly. The guard bowed and left them together, alone, with only a set of metal between them. She began her questioning.

"Who are you?" He shook his head sadly, as if having given up hope. "You shouldn't be here." Hinata's eyes opened wide. His calm voice was… mesmerizing. He settled his eyes on her again, gazing into her depths as if he could see something she couldn't. A small smile appeared on his face, and Hinata couldn't help but wonder why.

"You've become quite the lady." He murmured, a tinge of sadness in his tone.

"Please, answer my question." Once again, he shook his dead. "It's no use, you won't remember me." She cocked her head to the side. Remember him?

"You are a man of secrets. I wish to free you from this cell, but you refuse to answer even one question." In one swift movement, he gripped the bars and pulled as hard as he could. The only thing that moved was his torso, which collided with the metal as he flung himself against it.

"I _don't_ want to be in here." He hissed through gritted teeth. Hinata, who had taken a step back, watched intently as he pressed his forehead against the cold metal and contorted his face in anger. There was nothing he could do.

"You're so close… Even now…" he reached out to her. For some reason, Hinata couldn't bring herself to move. He stroked her cheek, caressing it as if she was the only warmth left in his life. His gorgeous azure eyes contained nothing but despair, and she couldn't find out why.

He pulled his hand back and blushed. "Sorry…I… I'm an idiot." He murmured, more to himself than to her. Then, he reached into his pocket, causing her to step back rapidly, thinking it was a blade.

"Calm down. I carry nothing of the sort." He reassured, pulling out something white and soft-looking. It was the kind of brilliant white that would even make new snow look grew. Absolutely and utterly white.

_**A handkerchief. **_

Her eyes widened. There was something about it.

"Although this originally belongs to you…"

He smiled apologetically and reached out again to gently dab the cloth against her cheek. "You shouldn't be tainted with such filth." _Who… Who is this man…_

"Please, answer this question, at the very least." He raised his eyes to meet hers, and gazed at her through his impossibly long eyelashes.

"What is my name?" He appeared to be somewhat bewildered at first, before bursting into a fit of laughter. _Of course, he does not know._

"Why – It's Hinata!" He grinned, and she gasped.

"_Hyuuga _Hinata" He added, somewhat bitterly.

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I got a lot of help from my friend with writing this. I hope to receive his generous assistance for future chapters.

I want to stress that this is NOT a Sasuhina, there WILL be naruhina, so just stay patient!


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